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Virginia A. Simpson, Ph.D., known to her clients as "Dr. Ginni," is a nationally and internationally recognized authority on dying and grieving. She has earned a Fellowship in Thanatology by the Association of Death Education & Counseling (ADEC). Dr. Simpson was cited in the July 2007 issue of Town & Country article on grief, and her own articles have appeared throughout the world.
Dr. Simpson began her informal grief studies at the age of 12, after her 48-year-old father died suddenly of a heart attack. In 1982, she embarked on her formal education in death, dying and bereavement, and started counseling the dying and bereaved in 1984, including creating a special program for at-risk grieving teens. Upon completion of her dissertation on the psychosocial variables affecting the long-term adaptation of bereaved parents, Dr. Simpson received her doctorate in psychology.
In an effort to create meaning out of the sudden death of her beautiful stepson, Douglas William (Doug) Simpson, in 1991, Dr. Simpson founded The Mourning Star Center in Palm Desert, California in 1995. For ten years, she trained all grief facilitators and led every support group for grieving children, teens, parents and spouses. Although intending to stay involved in the organization, the prolonged illness and subsequent death of her mother, along with unforeseen events, moved her life in other directions.
In 2006, Dr. Simpson was honored for her work by the Cities of Indian Wells, Palm Desert, Palm Springs, and Rancho Mirage.
Dr. Simpson brings more than a quarter of a century of experience and expertise to her work helping grieving children, teens and adults cope with the loss of a loved one due to homicide, suicide, accident or illness. She has appeared on numerous television and radio programs, is a sought after public speaker, and is also a consultant to school personnel, psychologists and other mental health professionals.
In addition to her successful private practice, Dr. Simpson is the Director of Grief Education for a continuously growing number of funeral homes throughout the United States and Canada, and is the resident expert on children and teen grief at www.griefsupportservices.org.
Whether your loss has been sudden or expected, Dr. Simpson can guide and assist you as you learn to cope with the depth of emotions and experiences that are part of healthy grieving. Dr. Simpson is also experienced in helping individuals face the end of their own lives as well as assisting families who are caretaking terminally ill loved ones.
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